Greenpeace Romania: Illegal woodcutting in Romania led to a EUR 9 M prejudice during 2015-2016
Almost half of the illegal woodcutting (42%) tracked down in Romania last year was announced by the population, reads the latest Greenpeace Romania report released on Wednesday. The report also reveals that fines of over RON 33 million have been applied. Most of the illegal woodcutting cases were registered in Mures, Brasov and Olt counties.
The Greenpeace survey says that 9,444 illegal woodcutting cases have been reported countrywide in 2016, which represents an average of 26 cases each day. 3,986 cases out of them (42 per cent) have been identified by citizens.
The cases have been reported to the authorities through the Forest Radar tool, the Forest Inspector’s mobile app, directly on www.inspectorupadurii.ro, but also on www.salvezpadurea.ro , Greenpeace’s online platform.
The counties where citizens have been involved the most in signaling the irregularities are Arges and Dambovita.
According to Greenpeace Romania, the first three counties boasting the most illegal woodcutting cases are: Mures (1,057 cases- 11 per cent), Brasov (664 cases- 7 per cent) and Olt (605 cases-6 per cent).
On illegal woodcutting volume, the largest wood quantities have disappeared from Maramures, Iasi and Cluj, with the three counties registering 52% of the illegal woodcutting volume countrywide.
A prejudice of about EUR 9 million was the estimated overall during 2015-2016, with the biggest prejudices being reported in Maramures (45.59% out of the total value at national level).
The report informs that 1,146 transportation means have been seized last year and 22,264 fines worth more than RON 33 M have been applied, with most of them in Arges (2,106), Vrancea (1,969) and Mures (1,455).
The Wood Inspector’s mobile app has been installed by over 60,000 users, with one in five calls to 112 to check the wood transports revealing a crime.